I Would Die for Them
by Tigereyes45
Summary: Au where the Simpsons children have grown up and are now spies, and mercenaries for hire. Taking as many jobs as they can to keep the money coming in and their identities hidden. Hired for their stealth and efficiency. Known only as the Lost Men the Simpsons children have an alternative reason for choosing this life, and Lisa may have a reason to get out of it.
1. Burning the Candle's Hours

It had been a long time since any of them had a few hours of real rest. Mission after mission for so long had made the years feel short, and the hours feel long. Right now the boys were sleeping as Lisa passing by the time working through the footage from their latest job. She had been working on it for the last three hours, giving her only two more to either finish the job or get some shut eye.

"Come on Lisa. You can get it done. There's no point in sleeping now."

"You keep doin' that and you'll fall asleep during a job." How had she not heard him get up.

"Is Bart awake too?" Lisa asks spinning around in her chair to see Nelson Muntz holding a beer in his hands.

"No. Him, and Milhouse are still asleep. Maggie is gone though." He points out and Lisa shrugs.

"I heard her leave right after Bart started to snore. She is beginning to get restless."

"Sounds like you when you were first brought on." Nelson points out crossing the tiny room over to her.

"That was when I was a beginner. Maggie is a natural. She'll come back before the others are awake. She always does. Now if you will excuse me I have to finish this." She swerves back to her computer.

"What are you doing this time?" Nelson asks leaning over the back of her chair. She needed to get a taller one. That way none of the boys could see her work. That was the reason she had taken the smallest room. Less room for others to come crowding in. Sadly it means it only take two or three people to crowd it.

"Going over the unedited footage. Somehow we were detected early on. Sooner then we had planned for. Milhouse was lucky to only get that one scratch going across his nose." Lisa stops herself from commenting on the fact that last time he got shot in the ass. It was no fun having to cut that out of him. Next time she was leaving the removal process to Maggie.

"What were you doing there?" Nelson ask pointing at her shape crossing over the railings above them. She wasn't supposed to be there, but in the moment the diversion had been completely necessary.

"While you lot were below taking your sweet time to egg on security I was keeping the other nice men from shooting you all. Maggie took their weapons as I disarmed them." Lisa explains rewinding and showing the barely visible image of Maggie right behind her as the men before them all fell off the railing.

"Remind me not to piss you two off." Nelson mutters with a grim look.

"Will do." Lisa promises with a sweet smile.

Nelson's expression changes, and Lisa wonders why. In one moment his grim look was gone, and instead he was smiling back at her. His eyes held a sad, hollow feeling to them as he brings his head down closer to her. His wife-beater shirt hangs a little loose from his chest and Lisa is reminded of the tattoo on his chest with a small glimpse of her name.

"Nelson, what are you doing?" Lisa manages the question right before he wraps his arms around her tightly. In a flash his arms were gone and he was almost back to her door.

"Nelson?" Why did her voice sound so small?

"Get some rest Lisa. If you don't then you'll start to imagine things." Nelson warns her before shutting her door behind himself.

Lisa ignores the illogical feeling that was growing in her chest. They weren't kids anymore. Life was serious, and if she didn't take care of herself any one of them could be killed. He was warning her for the safety of the group, not because he cared. Lisa shuts her laptop with a sigh of relunctantance. Once the screen was off she felt a wave of wariness hit her that she had managed to ignore before. Lisa stands and stumbles over to the small mattress that made her bed in the corner of the room. Right beside her desk. She feels for the handle of her knife, finding it right under the mattress. She clenches it tightly and tries to forget the hug. It wasn't important, the fact that he smiled wasn't important. Nor were the facts that she could hear the door to the boy's room open and close shortly after, or the fact she could hear every step Nelson took. Nelson was the loudest of the three. His bed was also the closest to her's. Resting just on the other side of the wall. Lisa sometimes wonders if that was intentional on his part, or if it was just another small detail she was reading into more then she should.

She fell asleep before she heard Maggie come home, or Nelson's snores could be the makeshift lullaby they had become for her. Her last thought before allowing her eyes to close was if their parents would be happy with what they were doing now? A life as spies, and mercenaries was not easy, or safe. Marge probably would not care for it, and would want her babies home doing something, anything else, but Homer, well Homer had done more dangerous things on accident before. Neither of them were here. They couldn't say anything about the paths their children had taken.

"Goodnight mom, and dad."

As her body loses consciousness Lisa faintly heard the words, "Night Lisa." In reply. She slept her remaining two available hours without a problem.


	2. Changes

The alarms were ringing now. This was it their last chance to make it out. Lisa holds her handgun close to her side. She had already shot three bullets which meant she had three more left before she would have to reload. Bart was on the first floor making his way into the vents. Maggie was already on the outside with their new getaway vehicle. Somehow she manages to get out faster than all of the others. Milhouse had not made his position clear to her yet, but she imagines Bart would know where he was. As for Nelson, the old elementary school bully, well he was cornered.

Apparently, there had been more men than originally expected in the room Nelson had planned to use for his route of escape. As long as he could hold them off until she got there then her job would be a hell of a lot easier. "I'm approaching the brawn's location," Lisa announces into her speaker.

"Make sure you grab him fast. Crier just made it to Baby, and I am almost out." Bart informs her as she reaches the door Nelson was supposed to be behind. Shooting off the door handle Lisa curses herself for wasting a bullet in such a manner. As the door opens Lisa hides behind, pressing her back against the back of it. Guns ready in her hand. She spies a man wearing armor aims for the face, and a bullet flies through the man's skull.

Next, she spies two more men. One held onto Nelson weapon at his size, probably out of shock, and therefore his responses were slow. The other one was already firing. Lisa was prepared for that, already her body was dropping down. Throwing her body into Nelson and his captor she fires at the man who was reloading.

He falls back from the shot and lands on the floor. As her own body fell from Nelson's. Lisa could not tell if he was dead or not. Her thoughts were on the gone that was now pointed at her head. She had failed to knock the man from Nelson, or even taking them both to the ground. She should not have been surprised. Lisa Simpson was not even close to being the same size as the two men before her.

"Get up! Slowly. Drop your gun." The orders came in quick succession, this man had never been in this sort of situation before. That must be why he made the mistake of holding the gun within Nelson's reach. Lisa smiles innocently as she follows instructions. Glancing at Nelson she blinks slowly. A sign that she was ready. He looks to the gun.

It all happened to fast for the man to ever figure out he had been fooled. Nelson grabs the gun and jerks it back, causing the guard to let go of it. Then he jerks it forward and checks how many bullets are in it before pointing it back at the guard.

Lisa was already making her way back to the door. When she looks back to see Nelson wasn't following. "Brawn, let's go!" Lisa orders looking over at the man who had fallen earlier. If he wasn't dead then he was at least out cold. Lisa found herself hoping he wasn't dead.

"This guy pointed a gun at your head," Nelson growls shoving the pistol against the man's forehead.

"And now you are holding it to his. It's enough, let's go before the others leave us." Lisa insists holding her breath. Was he really going to do this? The man was disarmed there was no point in shooting him now. Lisa stands quietly and waits. Nelson had been falling down this dark path almost as quickly as Bart was descending. Lisa knows she could take the gun from Nelson, that she could make him walk away, but she doesn't. A deep, sick part of her wanted to see what he would do. If he was too far gone to still resemble the boy she used to know. A part of her hopes that he isn't. Yet another part of her wanted to see him pull that trigger. A part of herself she was still having trouble coming to terms with.

Finally, Nelson resolves to kick the man in the gut. Turning his back to the guard Nelson storms out of the door. "You're right. I don't like it, but you are." Nelson complains. He pushes past Lisa before walking down the steps.

For a moment Lisa freezes where she is. Looking back she watches the man crawl over to his friend. Taking a deep breath she tries to still her shaking hands. "I'm sorry." She mutters before following after Nelson.

They made it back to Baby's position just in time. Bart had the car on and was pulling out. Nelson and Lisa chase him down onto the road before he finally stops it and lets them get in the back. Lisa found herself cramps in between Nelson and Milhouse. Maggie raises an eyebrow at her, in question.

Lisa ignores her sister and quickly asks Bart what the hell he thought he was doing.

"You two were late. If you were caught we couldn't risk waiting." Bart explains sounding oddly practical.

"You waited until you saw us to drive off!" Lisa points out ignoring her brother's argument.

"I stopped and let you in." He points out with an overly sassy tone.

"Speaking of which, next time we get a bigger car. I'm squished back here." Lisa complains causing Milhouse to squirm.

"Sorry, Lisa. I'll try to move over." And he did try, but it did little to help. Nelson's meaty elbow was still stabbing her in the side and her right arm was sore and sensitive due to her fall. Milhouse's disproportionate body was taking up more space than his scrawny waist ever could. Everyone smelt as if they needed a shower, and Maggie was shooting her curious looks back at her every four minutes. As if she expected Lisa to climb into one of their laps any moment. It was pissing Lisa off.

The ride was long, but they stopped midway to ditch the car. The next part of their long journey back was to use the subway. They had fifteen changes they had to make, and switch from one subway train to another. Eventually, all of them splitting off to take different routes back to their base. Lisa took the quickest, though it still took her three hours.

When she got back the warehouse they had been hiding in was empty. The last three months they had been here all to complete the job they had gone through today. Well, last night. Lisa saw that the morning sun had already risen when her ride was done. Now for at least another hour, she had the place all to herself.

So Lisa began to work. Changing out of their matching uniform to her personal clothes. She pushes back a few stray strands of hair and wanders into the kitchen. No doubt Bart and the others would buy themselves some food before coming back. That would give her somewhere between an hour or two before any of them got back. Her money was on Milhouse getting back next and Maggie coming back last.

Her little sister hated being here. Lisa knew and so did everyone else. She was not the kind of girl to hide when she was dissatisfied with anything. The fights between Bart and Maggie were getting worse. Lisa could see what was happening. How slowly their little sister was pulling away from this occupation, from their group. How Bart would take it when she left permanently Lisa wasn't sure about. It was going to happen. He can't keep her here forever after all. Not unless it was her choice.

Maggie would never choose it. Lisa stares sadly ahead of herself as she begins to gather all that she needed to. Even if the others ate out she still found herself cooking more then not. Mainly for herself and occasionally Maggie when her sister came back late. Soup for tonight. Yes, that would be enough.

Lisa was almost done the cooking when she heard the warehouse's door open downstairs. She looks at the clock above the stove, knowing she had not taken that long to cook. Yes, it was still too early for anyone else to be back. Quickly she sets her hand on the handle of her gun at her hip. Slowly walking she listens to whoever was exploring downstairs. She leans her head over the railing to look down the stairs. At the bottom sat Nelson, throwing small stones about with one hand.

"What are you doing back already?" Lisa asks taking her hand off of her gun.

"I live here too, ya know," Nelson grumbles not even bothering to look back at her.

"Yes I realize that, but you shouldn't be back yet. The path you took should have taken you far longer." Lisa begins to explain.

"I took a different path. One of my subways were down for construction. So I found a faster one that got me here faster. What are you complaining about?" Nelson asks as another stone flies free from his hand.

Lisa's face falls. "I'm not complaining. I-i just thought I would have a little more time alone." She explains leaning over the railing a little bit. Looking back to Nelson she saw he was now sitting still.

"Why? Can't stand who we've become?" Nelson asks out of nowhere. He held his hands together in his lap.

A deep question. Far too deep for Nelson to be the one who asks it. Out of everyone he always seemed the least phased by the changes, well no, that wasn't right. Bart was the least phased. Then again he saw this all as some sort of backward justice for what was done to them. Lisa knew better, maybe Nelson did too.

"No." Lisa could stand who she was becoming because she understood it. "What I can't stand is the fact that I can not commit to one side of me completely."

Nelson finally turns to look at her. Surprise clear as day on his face. "Whoa, Lisa."

She shrugs and shakes off the dark mood that was developing. "I made food. You hungry?" Throwing her thumb over her shoulder Lisa gestures back towards the kitchen.

"Uh, yeah." Lisa leaves the railing before Nelson even begins to stand up.

She washes yet another bowl, setting aside the two clean ones she had ready for Maggie and herself. It was just tomato soup. With water instead of milk, but it was still nice to have a home-cooked meal even if it was so simple.

"What did you cook?" Nelson asks as he enters the small makeshift kitchen area. He sniffs the air before wrinkling his nose.

"Tomato soup," Lisa explains handing him the clean bowl.

"With milk?"

"No, water."

"It's better with milk."

Lisa rolls her eyes. "You can complain and eat it, or you can not eat it and complain about not eating. Take your pick. Though I may ignore you for either choice."

Nelson shrugs and sits down across from her. He eats a few spoonfuls quietly. Lisa tries not to look at him but occasionally she risks a glance. From these few glances, she finally took in some of the differences about him. His hair was long. If he styled it a little different it could almost be a mullet, thankfully it was that long. Not yet at least. His teeth were cleaner now, somehow. Maybe being on the run and forming a mercenary group encouraged him to care more about hygiene. Yet, he spoke less often these days. The only one who voices their opinion less than him was Maggie, and somehow he had grown kinder yet more brutal throughout the years. If that was possible.

"What are you lookin' at?" Nelson asks, sounding irritable.

"Your hair. It's getting pretty long. You should cut it." Lisa explains hoping to cover up her other thoughts.

"Hah. That's funny."

"Find look homeless if you want."

"I think you mean awesome." The two joke back and forth until Milhouse and Bart arrived. They split off into their separate rooms then and didn't share another word for the rest of the night. When Lisa checked the pot of soup next morning it was gone. Maggie must have been hungry.


	3. Chapter 3

Four weeks went by rather peacefully for their little group. They sold the intel they had gathered on the last mission. They relocated to a new hidden base. All the equipment was moved without a single piece breaking. Yes, it all seems to be going along just as planned. That was until Maggie took the car she was driving with her sister in the passenger seat, and drives it off the road.

Lisa's eyes snap open as she realizes they were off course. Understanding she would not be able to doze off during this car drive, the middle Simpson child turns her attention to Maggie.

" Where are we going?"

Her sister shrugs before saying, "Off-roading."

"I see that. You do know this is a new car right?"

"Exactly why it can handle off-roading." Maggie insists as she cuts through dirt roads between trees.

Lisa shakes her head. "You know these small rebellions will get you nowhere." She begins preparing a lecture.

Maggie punches her in the arm before already beginning her tried argument. "And you know that you're not mom. So don't start shit, Lis." Came the order as the car jumps a few feet into the air after hitting a bump. Lisa throws a look to Maggie as the youngest Simpson smiles and simply turns the steering wheel.

They bounce a little as the car lands on the dirt road. Lisa presses her hand to the roof of the car as Maggie has her fun. At one point they ended up drifting off of one road down to another. Lisa was thankful that both roads were empty. How Maggie had managed to avoid the cops with the way she drives was a miracle in Lisa book.

"You're not dead. Relax." Maggie insists with a carefree tone that Lisa was envious of.

"We are going to be so late," Lisa complains.

Maggie shrugs. To be honest it was not that big of a deal. With the ways they chose to travel by Maggie and Lisa would have ended up at the next base at the very least four and a half hours before the guys. Lisa always went with whichever car got the shortest drive, or whatever path was the shortest, because she hated being out too long. Visiting labs and sights filled with culture used to be her favorite pastime, and now she risked the chance of being spotted anytime she went. Despite the unlikely chance of it happening, that sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach never left her until they were safely at the next base.

It was Maggie that interrupted the quiet with an unsettling question. Her little sister was always talented with setting a terrible mood. "How long do you think this will last?" Lisa looks over at Maggie with a face of clear fear.

"What do you mean Maggie?" Lisa asks crossing her arms over her chest.

"You know what I mean Lisa. You are the "brains" after all."

"That's just a codename. For missions."

"Yeah, and you live up to it. Out of all of us, I know you wonder about it the most. Well maybe second after me. Point is you still think about it. We can't keep this up forever, and Bart is determined to keep going until we find out who blew up Springfield and kill them."

"We won't kill all of them. Just the ones who ordered and perform the attack." Lisa argues.

"He wants us to end their operations permanently," Maggie emphasizes. "What do you think that means Lis? You aren't an idiot so stop turning a blind eye!"

"Don't yell at me, Maggie." Lisa order taking on a cold tone. "Yes I understand he won't stop until the main mission is complete, and no I do not enjoy us being mercenaries. I hate taking on jobs just for pay and information but that is just our lives right now."

"They don't have to be Lis. You could be graduating college right now. I could be out pursuing music, or art, or anything else. Instead, we're here playing loyal soldiers to big brother."

"He is our brother." Lisa reaffirms. "And he needs our help. Bart is a genius when he applies himself and I have never seen him apply himself to anything more then he has to this. Even so, he and the others couldn't pull this off by themselves. Milhouse is a juvie escapee, Nelson is our childhood bully and friend, you, Bart, and I are the only three who aren't just muscle. He needs our help or we won't succeed. He'll die without us, Maggie. I know you understand that."

Maggie turns off the main road in favor of another dirt one. She could prolong this ride as much as she wanted, but it wouldn't work. They still had to join the others. She could continue to sneak out at night visiting clubs, or finding friends in odd places all she wanted. Her small rebellions were logical. She was in the middle of her rebellious stage when everything went to hell. So Lisa knew she may never fully grow up, and even if she did eventually mature she may be the only one of them to have a normal life due to her rebellions. She knows people outside of the job and those allies would be invaluable to Maggie's future at some point. When this was all done.

It was Maggie who interrupts Lisa's thoughts again. "Do you know why Bart and I weren't hit?"

Lisa rests her elbow on the car door to her right and rests her head in her hand. "Bart said you and he took dad's car for a joy ride."

"Yeah we did that, but we were going to meet up with Milhouse and bring him back. Bart was the first person he called when he got out. He didn't escape he was let out on good behavior."

"Alright." Lisa wonders why Maggie was telling her this now.

"He made up that lie after the bomb was dropped and we met up with you and Nelson. He wanted to impress you, but I think he chose the wrong time."

"He did." Lisa snorts remembering how when the news was delivered to her by her brother as they meant up at a police station. Lisa thought she was bailing her brother out, only to be told something so much worse. Despite her tears, Milhouse interrupted her moment with her family to offer his shoulder to cry on and then whispered how much of a badass he was now as she cried. If the police hadn't been there she probably would have punched him right then, but police outside of Springfield were typically competent.

"So, why did you take Nelson?" Maggie asks. Lisa begins counting how many trees they were passing now.

"Why all the questions Maggie? First, you want to leave and talk about this ending, and now you want to talk about the past. It's over too. Why don't we just let it lie?" Lisa asks beginning to lose her temper.

"You were visiting a college. Nelson didn't need to go. Bart said so. He told me not to tell Milhouse because he would only be upset by the news, and Nelson was with you when you arrived at the police station." Maggie continues ignoring Lisa's apprehension to the subject.

"It was in the city. New place, I didn't know anyone. Dad had to work. Mom was taking care of you and Bart so I took Nelson. He skipped enough days so it was an excuse for him to have a legitimate reason to miss it. I got the principal to agree, Nelson got to miss three tests he was supposed to make up later." Lisa sighs. "He never had to though, and it's not like it matters now anyway."

Maggie shrugs whispering, "You really are blind."Lisa chooses to keep the conversation quiet from then on. Maggie finally turns on the radio when she gets too bored to keep trying to pry information from her sister. Of course, she finds the only working alternative station available in the middle of nowhere. Lisa occasionally nods her head along to the few songs she knew as trees, and forests turn into desert, and lack of anything green near.

She considers how funny it is that even as a child she could remember traveling. Only it always seemed to just switch from one scenery automatically to another. A phenomenon that continues is a less drastic degree to this day. She attributes it to the fact that she does not really pay much attention while on the road. Preferring to nap or get lost in her thoughts instead. This day was not one of those days. Who knew what Maggie would do if Lisa fell asleep, and none of her thoughts were ones she wanted to deal with today. Hopefully, the boys were doing better on their trip.

It was reaching hour three of the drive when Bart began to get fed up with his passengers. Hour four came around and Bart was considering crashing the car just to end the torture. When hour five begins to pass he purposely makes it look like he is going to, pulling away the last minute. It was enough to keep them quiet until hour seven. What were they arguing about? Well, that was another sore subject for Bart, because if he heard about any of it anymore he was going to make them sleep outside.

First, it was about if whether or not buying the latest comic book was worth it. That was fine, Bart even joined in the conversation. Despite their occupation that was one of the few little things the guys still enjoyed doing. Then it became which comic was best, to which character was best, to which was hottest, and then what girls did they know was hottest. To be fair Milhouse bringing up Lisa was a dumb choice. The three of them only kept in contact with two girls constantly, Maggie (which neither were allowed near), and Lisa (which the two in the back both had a crush on but only one would admit it openly).

So he had to listen to Milhouse going on and on trying to get Nelson and Bart to join in until Nelson threatened to punch him. When Nelson turned around from the passenger seat to raise his fist at Milhouse was when Bart interrupted.

"Listen, we don't have time for girls Milhouse. I told you that. Besides my sisters are our coworkers."

"And co-workers are off limits." Milhouse groans. "Well do you know another girl Bart?" He just wouldn't let the subject drop.

"Yeah, lots man."

"Who?"

Bart shrugs. Yes, he knew plenty of girls. Never stuck around with one for any time longer than what a job lasts, and none of them ever made it back to their bases. Still, he played the field a couple times when running all of his team became too much. Even saw Maggie at a few clubs from time to time. Never interacted with her of course. A simple nod of acknowledgment here a few words with shady guys after and she always came home safe.

"Doesn't matter man. We have a job."

"Come on man tell," Milhouse whines punching Bart in the shoulder. Nelson gives him a side-eye look. He was waiting for the word so he could shut Milhouse up himself. Bart wouldn't let him have the satisfaction.

So instead Bart made a simple list of the last five girls he had spent time with. "There was Alice, Sam, Rebecca, Louise, and Gillie."

Then it became Milhouse pushing for some details, and even Nelson asked his own question here and there. The point is that Bart was happy to be at the new place and out of that damn car. So when he pulls up to the trailer they would all be using for the next couple of weeks, Bart was the first out of the car and in the house. Expecting to see Lisa and Maggie already setting up their gear.

What Bart finds instead was an empty building with only a couch in the main room. That would make sense they would set up in the back. He walks back to the end of the trailer as he could hear Milhouse and Nelson enter in after him. As Bart opens one of the back doors he finds the room empty. Repeating the process he finds all three rooms were empty, the equipment was nowhere, and his sisters were not here yet.

Pulling out his phone he dials Lisa. She picks up after the first ring. As efficient as ever. It was good to know she didn't fall asleep and let Maggie drive anyway she wanted.

"Where the hell are you two?"

"Passing the pit of lava Ned Flanders is stirring." Lisa sarcastically replies.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." Bart mocks laughter before bringing the conversation back to its point. "Why are you two late?"

"We got lost. We'll be there in a couple more hours."

"Hurry up Lisa. Or I might murder these two before you get here."

"Oh just make Milhouse go out to get groceries and give Nelson a cigarette. Afterwards, they'll be fine. They are your friends Bart. You brought them on." Lisa reminds him coolly as Bart whines.

"Don't act like you don't appreciate the extra help. You agreed."

"Yeah well I've agreed to a lot of things," Lisa mutters bitterly before continuing. "Besides we won't be there for at least another two hours. You boys can have your video games to come down once we arrive, but until then it's up to you Bart." With that she hangs up, leaving Bart alone with the others again.

Biting his lip Bart uses Lisa's advice after announcing, "The girls are behind schedule. They won't be here for another few hours. Milhouse I'm going to write up a list of food and other items that we need. You are going to go get them."

"But Bart,"

"You can take the car. I won't make you walk. We are basically in the middle of nowhere right now after all. If there is change keep it." Bart instructs as he fetches a pen and paper from one of the boxes that the Nelson and Milhouse had begun bringing in. A basic list of around twenty things, and three twenty dollar bills later, Milhouse is gone.

Bart looks over to Nelson. "Wanna a smoke break?"

Nelson lifts his brow but doesn't refuse. "Sure."

Bart falls onto the couch and digs through his pant pockets to reach the pack of cigarettes he held onto. It was still half-full. Bart realizes that he hadn't smoked one since they started the last job. Two months, a new record for him. Bart chases the thoughts away as he pulls out two. Placing one between his teeth he holds the other out for Nelson. The slightly taller man accepts it and takes a seat next to Bart on the couch.

"Got a light?"

"Yeah." Nelson pulls out his old lighter. It was the first one he ever had and the only one he bothered keeping track of or refilling with lighter fluid. "Glad we're doing this now," Nelson says with a sense of relief clear in his voice.

"Why?" Bart asks before taking a deep breath.

"Well, I haven't had the time for once in a while. Plus we're the only two smokers in the group. No offense dude but the others complain whenever my smoke even lingers."

"Yeah well, we're breaking in the new place. Besides, the girls are late and Milhouse is getting some extra cash. They can't really complain even if they came back right now."

Nelson laughs. Almost, in the same manner, he uses to as a kid. It takes Bart back. Much too far back. Unlocking memories Bart didn't wish to entertain. Apparently, the moment stirred the same feeling within Nelson, but he was far too willing to talk.

"Remember back when we hid behind the high school and use to trade these for the weirdest of shit?"

"Like that one time we got half of a skateboard?" Bart suggests.

"Hey, it was supposed to be a whole one. You're the one who let the kid get away with giving you just a broken half." Nelson points out.

"What can I say. I was excited about a new board. Too excited to notice him taking off before I even opened the bag." Bart shrugs and smiles before pushing smoke between his teeth. It causes several small clouds to form before they reconnected into one.

"Yeah, you were always like that. Still, don't know why you ever trusted me." Nelson jokes, half meaning it. Bart knew all too well about Nelson's loneliness from their childhood. Part of it was his fault due to bullying, but he did get better over time. At the end right before the bomb, most of their class would have called him a friend.

"Eh, well you know how kids go. Even if something is scary they'll still hang around." Bart jokes trying to keep the mood light.

"Yeah. You're right." Nelson agrees. "I mean Maggie stayed after all."

"Yeah." Bart agrees. The two enjoy their cigarettes in quiet after that.


End file.
